About Lu'an Leaf (Liu'an Guapian)

If Longjing and Biluochun are the taste of early spring, then Lu’an Guapian, picked during the Grain Rain, is the taste of late springtime. It tastes very fresh, with a mellow and sweet aftertaste and a light chestnut aroma. Its sweet flavor can linger in the mouth and throat for a very long time, evoking a strong nostalgia for the end of spring.
Lu’an Guapian is produced in Yu’an district, Lu’an City, and in the Qitou Mountain area and the adjacent Jinzhai and Huoshan Villages in the Dabie Mountains. While other green teas use both leaves and buds, Lu'an Guapian is the only tea in the world that uses only leaves, with no stem or bud. The leaves are flat and have a narrow oval shape, like a melon seed.
In July 1971, a quantity of Lu’an Guapian was given as a national gift to the US Secretary of State.

Appearance & Taste

The tea includes no buds and no stem. The leaves are long and narrow, flat and oval-shaped, resembling melon seeds.

Very fresh, with a mellow and sweet aftertaste and a light chestnut aroma. Its sweet flavor can linger in the mouth and throat for a very long time. The higher the quality of the Lu’an Guapian, the lighter the taste.

Taste: Chestnut, Floral, Fresh, Sweet

Brewing Guide

Tea Cup

2 teaspoon(s)

80°C (125ml)

3 mins

Enjoy!

Glass

4 tsp

80°C (250ml)

3 mins

Enjoy!

Teapot

8 tsp

80°C (500ml)

3 mins

Enjoy!

Kongfu Style

Suitable for Bottom Drop Methods.

Bottom-drop

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterward
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Pour hot water (80–85°C) into the teaware until it is one-third full
Tilt the glass cup, slowly rotating it two times (this is to ensure a better infusion)
Pour hot water (80–85°C) into the teaware until it is seven-tenths full
Infuse tea for around three minutes, if using gaiwan gongfu method, the first brew can be around 10s, the second time is around 60s, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea is left before refilling
Repeat a total of three times
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews.

Origin

Lu’an Guapian is one of the most famous traditional teas. It originates from Anhui province and is produced in Yu’an district, Lu’an City, and the Qitou Mountain area and the adjacent Jinzhai and Huoshan villages in the Dabie Mountains.

Soil types are complex in these mountainous areas. In the inner mountains is found mainly yellow-brown soil, including both common yellow-brown soil and mountain yellow-brown soil. It has several positive characteristics such as richness in organic substances and very good fertility and permeability. The soil in the outer mountains is yellow-brown soil but formed directly through parent material. This type of soil has an impermeable sticky layer, and fertility and permeability are very poor. Along the river and in the valleys is found mostly alluvial soil, also called ‘sandy loam’. This type of soil has deep layers with high fertility and good permeability. Tea plantations located in these lower areas are normally high-yield.

The climate in the region is humid. The annual relative humidity is 80%, so dryness is below 0.8.

Light energy resources are also abundant. There are around 2,000-2,230 hours of sunshine annually – an annual percentage of around 50%.

Origin: Anhui

Picking & Production

Ingredients: While other green teas use both leaves and buds, Lu’an Guapian is the only tea in the world that uses only leaves, with no stem or bud.

Picking Time: Leaf picking for Lu’an Guapian is very particular. Only the most delicate leaves are picked, without buds or stems. It is the only green tea for which every leaf is picked individually.

Only the second leaf on the branch is used – this is the freshest and most nutritious. The third and fourth leaves are too delicate and the water content is too high, meaning it is very hard to shape the leaves after frying.

The best picking time for Lu’an Guapian is around the Grain Rain (19, 20 or 21 April). Picking can last for around ten days. When the fourth leaf appears, the tea picker knows it is the right time to pick the second leaf. The first leaf is discarded since it wraps around the bud for a long time, which reduces its freshness. The second leaf unfurls to a length of about 3cm and accumulates abundant nutrients over a year while still keeping its freshness. One or two days after the second leaf is picked, the third leaf is also ready to be picked, and so on.

Around the beginning of summer (5, 6 or 7 May), as the temperature rises, the tea leaves will get old rapidly, and will no longer be usable.

Special Process: ‘La Lao Huo’ is the critical process for making Lu’an Guapian. In the process, two workers need to carry a drying cage containing the tea leaves up and down over a 1,000 ℃ charcoal fire continuously over 100 times. Producing dried Lu’an Guapian from the fresh tea leaves takes over a week. Lu’an Guapian is known as the most labor-intensive and time-consuming green tea.

Production Time: Spring

4 reviews for Lu’an Leaf (Liu’an Guapian)

Rated 5 out of 5
Mary – 18/02/2021
A good choice for a low-caffeine green tea. Just the right amount of sweetness and it has a refreshing zing to it.
Rated 5 out of 5
Paige H. – 18/01/2021
Very nice loose leaf tea with a delicate herbal flavour.
Rated 4 out of 5
Maddison S. – 03/12/2020
An unusual and pleasing nutty aftertaste along with a freshness I haven’t found in another tea
Rated 5 out of 5
Keira S. – 18/12/2019
I did some research and still couldn’t find my answer so I ordered it any way. Now I figured it out that my decision was right and this is what I was looking for. I love the aroma, each one smelled totally like what the package was depicting. I appreciated. Thanks.